Newport News Emergency Management Partners with National Weather Service to Host SKYWARN Training

By: City of Newport News

Volunteers report severe weather, alerting others and saving lives
The Newport News Division of Emergency Management has partnered with the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Wakefield Office to bring SKYWARN training to Newport News.  The NWS created SKYWARN to obtain critical weather information from trained severe weather spotters. SKYWARN’s network of approximately 400,000 volunteers helps keep communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS. The NWS is hosting two SKYWARN sessions on Wednesday, July 27,in the Fountain Plaza Two Building in Newport News City Center (700 Town Center Drive, 1st Floor). All are invited to participate in an afternoon class starting at 1 p.m. or an evening session at 5:45 p.m. Training is free, open to all, and typically lasts about two hours. Those interested in participating are invited to register on the Skywarn webpage. The NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, and nursing homes or those who have a responsibility for protecting others, are encouraged to become a spotter. You’ll learn: Basics of thunderstorm developmentFundamentals of storm structureIdentifying potential severe weather featuresInformation to report and how to report itBasic severe weather safety Since the program began in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite imagery and other data, has enabled the NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods. SKYWARN storm spotters form the nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. Join this group and give your family and neighbors the precious gift of time, which can save lives when it comes to severe weather. For more information on the program, visit www.weather.gov/SKYWARN.